How do you get colors to look like this?

Lee510

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Hi everybody,
I'm new here, and new to photography in general, and I have a question which may or may not have belonged in the "beginner" section, but in looking for the answer, it occured to me this technique I'm looking for may fall into a more advanced category. But please forgive me if this is an easy issue.

I'm trying to figure out how to make the colors in my photos look "smooth", for lack of a better or more technical term. In other words, make the colors look more subdued, or soft?? Almost like there's an even hue covering them... Really, I'm so new I even have a hard time trying to describe the look that's probably obvious to experienced pros.

Here's some examples I copied and pasted from the winner's gallery. They all have that certain look to their colors and lighting. Ok, thanks for your help!

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo331/lfowyang/96-200404-Vonnagy.jpg

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo331/lfowyang/96-200407-Nytmair.jpg

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo331/lfowyang/96-200606-DepthAfield.jpg

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo331/lfowyang/96-200607-crystalview.jpg
 
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I tink it's the lighting. It's not the harsh, on camera flash, but what appears to be natural, indirect lighting. Then there's the depth of field and rich colours - all natural warm tones.
 
"Smooth" may have been a bad way to describe it. Again, I can see it, but I'm having a hard time describing the look.
 
reg - thanks for the link... that certainly seems to show that "even" look I am seeing... reading through that website makes me realize how little I know!
 
Well, after reading up on Photomatix, I've stumbled on this concept of HDR. Then after reading up on HDR, I've stumbled on the idea of adjusting curves, etc, etc... so I guess I didn't realize how much of this stuff might be edited afterwards. Maybe that's the answer to my original question? And the more I'm reading up and learning about these things, I'm starting to see huge differences between the 4 pics I posted!
 
None of the photos presented here are HDR. Particularly not the one of Mark (first), I remember the time when he first presented it (years back).

Myself, I'm convinced most of these got their "soft" or "smooth" colours through the given light situation, which is a) natural - even for the kitchen photo, where window light falls onto the blueberries, while there might be some lamp light on the baskets in the background, and b) muted or veiled through clouds being a natural diffuser. Even where the photographers worked with sunlight, it is never direct but always diffused by clouds.
 
Diffusers and maybe a warming filter maybe.

I've gotten evenness like that before but it's always under cloud cover, I am clueless about doing it under artificial light.
 
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Myself, I'm convinced most of these got their "soft" or "smooth" colours through the given light situation, which is a) natural - even for the kitchen photo, where window light falls onto the blueberries, while there might be some lamp light on the baskets in the background, and b) muted or veiled through clouds being a natural diffuser. Even where the photographers worked with sunlight, it is never direct but always diffused by clouds.

Totally the light. These don't even look post processed to me. They look straight out of camera. I'm guessing Nikon camera, no processing. It is all about the light.
 
These are all the result of chosen lighting condition and PP.

There is no quick answer to achiving the above results they are all shot in completely different ways.... understanding the colour or look you want is about understanding photography.... start at the beginning and work towards your goal.
 
welcome to the forum man. You'll be addicted soon.
 
Thanks everyone for the replies. I was just watching a tutorial for beginner's and the teacher says lighting is what separates the pros from the amateurs... I don't have the skills yet, but I feel good at least knowing where I'm trying to get to.
 

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